Tree Man

Just like house contractors, yard contractors seem a little flaky, too. I did have this one guy lined up but he wouldn't just come out and say he wasn't interested in my project. So I waited. Lucky for me, it paid off.

Not too long ago, my sister hired a different contractor to finish cleaning up her yard and lot (we had a tornado here over a year ago, now) and said contractor, who I'll refer to as Tree Man, also has recently done work for my parents at their house. Great work, excellent prices. And we asked him if he'd like to give me a bid on my yard.

I think he went by twice last week, looking at everything and getting a game plan together. This morning he met up with me over at the house and we walked through the yard, talking about what I wanted to happen and what he thought should happen. And those things matched.

Then he gave me his bid and it was as if he was reading my mind. It was a figure I had come up with as being a comfortable price for the work and he matched it dead on without even knowing.

Starting Monday, the Tree Man and his crew will get bobcats and a chipper and one of those big cherry picker bucket trucks and begin taking down 4 trees on my property (including the two I blogged about earlier), all of the old overgrown bushes in the front, and will take the backyard down to dirt. Level, perfect, clean, clear dirt. All this in three days. AND all the trash in the back will be hauled away.

I'll make sure to have my camera handy because the transformation from not being able to walk in the backyard to actually having an open lot will be amazing. Even the bamboo will be dug out as completely as possible!!!

With the front trees gone, You'll be able to actually SEE my house. I plan on planting some trees back. In fact, since this little lot clearing project is coming in so well budget-wise, I'm already planning to get a landscape designer over there and I know already just who to use.

AND GET THIS: I have a contractor and his crew ready and waiting to begin work on the inside of the house, too! He's actually been turning down other jobs in anticipation of my project, which he will begin as soon as the Tree Man is finished. Things are really starting to happen, finally.

Pictures to come soon!

Man Vs. Bamboo Part Deux

It is that time again. I drive by my house every day on my way to work and I've been watching the bamboo slowly sneak back along the side of my house. True, it looked meager, brown, skimpy, and innocent for a while, but then we had one good rain storm and it declared war.


The above view is from the front porch, looking down the side of the house. It may not look very tall, but it is. Below, you'll see the patch behind the fireplace brick pile sprouting up. I'm 6'4'' and a lot of those shoots are taller than I am.


I think a few posts back I wrote about this tree along the side of the house. I'm not sure what kind of tree it is, but I left it back when we cut the bamboo the first time, just to see what it would do. It's trying to do something, but I think it's going to have to go. It's too close the side of the house.


After a good bit of work, the picture below shows what I accomplished in the front bunch of bamboo. Man, it was hot outside. I had to keep taking breaks to drink water and sit in the shade a bit.


Of course it didn't help that it was on a Saturday afternoon during the hottest part of the day. The halo of bamboo behind this brick pile kept leering at me and mocking me. I was tired just looking at it. But slowly, I started on it, as I had the front, pacing myself to not get too hot.



I thought about my grandmother a lot while working outside that day. I always do when I work in the yard. I felt like she was right there with me, working along side me, encouraging me to keep going and telling me how much better it was looking with every shoot I cut down.



The shoots themselves weren't thick; I was cutting them with hand snips and some I could rip right out of the ground. But they sure were dense and resilient.



This marked my halfway point through the clump in the back. I'd already cut down the first bit and this bed of bamboo is about three times as big. I felt like it was growing back as I cut it.



But looking down at it, I could see the progress I was making, however slow. I found it easier to just do it, rather than think about what I was doing. Or how hot it was.



At this point, I quit for the day. It was just too hot and the last few times I bent over, I was feeling lightheaded. So I called it a day. A few moments after a refreshing shower, I got a call to come fill in for someone at work. Good timing.

So, another day is left for me to work down there. I still need to find the stuff to hopefully kill it. My aunt has suggested something, but I haven't made the time to go pick it up yet, plus I was waiting to get it all cut back again, first.

I may talk with the Tree Man soon to get a bid about taking down those two trees out front and the one along the side of the house. I plan on landscaping the house, one day, and trees will be replanted, just not ones that will get as big as the ones there now. Hopefully the bamboo will be gone then, permanently.

I also have met up with another contractor (surprise) down at the house since the last few I've talked to have flaked out on me. I'm trying not to get too excited about him, though, since my history with contractors at the house. But maybe he'll come through for me. I hope so.

It's been a little over a year since the tornado, so contractors are running out of the work that has kept them steadily busy for so long. Maybe I'll be next.

Anniversary

I closed on my house a year ago today.

Time flies...

The contractor I decided on a few weeks back wanted to get in the house today to take some measurements to finalize his bid. But I was at work. Maybe I can meet with him tomorrow.

Still, it's exciting that he's serious about working on it, and I like him. Here's to hoping our numbers will match.

I'm optimistic about it all. Even though it's a year later, maybe the real work of putting it all back together will start soon.

I'm excited.

Has it really been a year?

May, already?

I went over to my house today after work for a few reasons, to check on things in general, to speculate about whether or not a tree should be taken down, and to check on the bamboo growing back... I also have a terrible case of Spring Fever and have really been wanting to do some yard work. I settled for buying a silly little wind catcher for 77 cents and hanging it on the front porch, because it catches the light and makes me smile. I drive by my house at least twice a day, two and from work and wanted to see a little *something* there.

Also because I briefly entertained the idea of potting some plants for the front porch until I remembered that the water has been turned off due to the leak (burst pipes) in January. At least the wind catcher will make me smile. Can you spot it?



See how the branch from the tree in question has already grown back down and over the front of the house? That's one reason I was contemplating removing the tree. Maybe it just needs a trim.

You can still SEE the house (this view is from across the street), but you can see what I mean about those low branches crowding the view. But also, see the power lines? I wonder if my utility company would like to remove the tree free to me?


It's actually two trees, growing a foot or so apart, close together. One looks like a bushy stick, and the other has half a canopy up top, due to trimming by the utility company over the years, I'm sure.


Oh. The tree(s) really wouldn't have good cause to be removed by the power company. Maybe just the bushy stick of a tree could be taken down? And then the other tree could branch out a little? It'd still be one sided because of the power lines... I don't like how it appears to be leaning towards my house, though. It does provide a shady front yard... Hmm...

Much thought. So I ventured inside at this point to find a surprise:


This window (nor any window in the house) is really secure. But it appears someone tried to get in or got in or something. I don't think the wind did this. And the glass isn't broken. It just kind of was pushed to the side, with one of the counter-weighted ropes undone. And one side of the makeshift (and inherited with the house) curtain has 'fallen'.

A picture with flash. Nothing broken. Nothing missing. There are tools scattered throughout the house. Nothing out of place. Maybe some kids? Maybe a nosy neighbor? Maybe wind? I maneuvered it back into place and tacked the curtain back up. Good as old. I don't want it raining in the house, and as far as I could tell, it hadn't.

But what's this on the other side of the house? It looks like maybe someone tried to get in here, too. I guess if they did, they found out that there is a stack of wood piled high on the other side. No entry gained here. Or has this side been like this? I honestly don't know.

Maybe the window thing should worry me more than it does. I kind of just fixed it back to looking like it was secure and shrugged it off since nothing was missing. Odd, yes.

But onto the real concern. The bamboo.

It doesn't look too bad. It's sprouting back up, and is almost chest high to me, but it doesn't look very happy or healthy. It's quite... brown. And sparse. But definitely coming back. I knew it would, I just didn't know how fast. But it's still small enough to cut by hand. No chainsaws needed this time. Pay no attention to the random plate or sauce packets from Taco Bell. I have no idea how they got there. Maybe the trespassers had take out?


Here's another view. I'll have to cut this back soon. When I cut it back the first time, I cut it to within an inch or so of the ground. My Aunt and Uncle recommended some sort of chemical to spray on it, but I remember that the bamboo needed to have foliage for it to work well, if it works at all. Oh, and I forgot the name of the chemical... Hey Aunt A, if you read this, drop me a line and remind me of name of the stuff again. And out there in the internet world, if you have suggestions, let me know that, too.


Here's that whole side of the house that had to be cut back for insurance reasons. Not too bad, definitely can be tackled easily again. But how do I get RID of it?


I walked along the side of the house to peek into the back yard. This is my view from the corner. See the white blurred edge? That's the end of the house, the 'secret' back porch.



And the next image is pivoting a little and turning towards the back of the house. Anyone want an old, reclaimed-by-nature oven? It's truly organic.



And and attempt look straight back, down the deep, narrow back yard. Sigh. This might be a temporary cure for anyone's Spring Fever.


I still am terribly fond of this house, craptastic back yard and all. When I walked through it today, I could completely see the house as it will be when done. I felt the flow of the rooms and could almost smell the paint. That's truly a gift when dealing with a renovation and seeing the rooms in such dire shape--- being able to imagine and visualize what it will be.

And of course, I shall end this blog post with hopes that work will begin on it soon. My contractor (the new one) is on my radar, and he's getting closer to starting, hopefully.

Fun news on the financial front, I'll have owned the house for ONE YEAR next week. Which means my original construction loan has matured. Which means I get to pay the interest on it and renew it for another year. Fun times.

But it will all happen in good time. I'm excited about my house again and have found a renewed sense of patience and faith. With Spring comes life and birth, and soon this house will be born again.

A floor plan and commentary

I've gone through several cycles and versions of what I would like my floor plan to be in the house. What I bought was a single family home that was roughly divided into two apartments, maybe fifty years ago. The house is a simple one, is about 98 years old, but has the potential to be just right for me.

I think in this process, you start with your dream plan, then it gets reigned in to become what is possible, then it becomes what you can afford. I always wanted to maintain a sense of character about the house, even though it has little architecture or hints of what it was. But since I am doing a total gut job, I also took liberties to make it what I want it to be, what I find the most useful and appealing layout to be.

A fireplace and chimney had to come down at one point, and when it did, a wall also opened up. A great room was born, with such an open, airy and inviting space, that I knew the wall would not go back up. What became of the space is a rather large chunk of the house, the living/dining area, which is about 410 square feet. The total square footage of the house as it is now is 979 square feet. So we're talking about a serious impact for such a small house. And the room has 5 windows!

I decided to enclose a small part of the front porch in order to add a foyer to the house. It may be a tiny room, but it will serve as a break between the inside and outside, and provide a more formal entry into the house. It will be done as tastefully as possible, with care to remove and reposition one of the front doors' mouldings, including the transom window above. The porch is deep and "L" shaped, so I won't miss the area I'm taking away.

And don't worry, the breezes on the front porch and its view were greatly considered when making the decision to enclose part of the porch for a foyer. It actually will preserve the best features of the front porch while highlighting the front door area with an inset, and will block some unsightly views of the neighboring 3 unit apartment house. I will still have a porch swing, too.
I've shown the floor plan on its side, as it is a narrow house (right click and open the image in another window for easier viewing). The main long interior wall looks rather stepped, but the only major change besides taking down a wall in the big room is moving the wall of the master bedroom out a few feet. Sure it may cramp the kitchen area, but the space will me much more appealing in the master bedroom rather than the small, galley-ish style kitchen (which by the way, the cabinets and appliances are not in the their final places, I just drew them in to get a general idea).

I chose to use existing space as a bedroom/study area, but with an added closet. I hope to find a pair of old glass french doors to put as an entry on the room, making it more open to the main room, but also allowing it to be closed when privacy is needed. A daybed, I'm thinking, a desk, maybe a chest of drawers will complete this little room.

I went ahead and added a full bath in the main part of the house, both for guest's sake, and to increase resell value, should I opt to sell it one day. With the closet in the guest room/study, this can be listed as a 2 bedroom, 2 full bath house. I figured that although a half bath would suffice, why not go ahead and put a tub unit in as well.

The main room will be both a living room and a dining room, flowing into each other and open. Even now, with the house dirty, dingy, and a complete wreck, I tend to stay in this room when visiting the property. It's just a nice room.

Beyond that is the kitchen. I haven't decided yet whether I want the kitchen to open up into the main room, as well. Part of me thinks that it would be a great space, having one whole side of the house open to one another, but another part of me thinks it should be divided and not go on forever. Sometimes kitchens need to be functional, yet not quite so in view (dirty dishes in sink after a get-together). A half wall may be born. Plus I might want to change paint colors. I like color and sometimes you really need a wall as a break.

The back porch is off the kitchen. It will be small and private. It may turn into a sun room of sorts, but I really enjoy screened-in porches, so it may remain that. I am thinking of putting the washer and dryer and hot water heater on the back porch, too. With plenty of porch area left over for maybe a bistro set or wicker love seat.

Back inside we find a surprisingly spacious master bedroom. Enough room for a king sized bed, a set of furniture and plenty of walking room. This room features a double window, and an okay-sized closet. But I made sure there was plenty of room in the bedroom for functional furniture to store clothes. One thing I like about this floor plan is that you think you've seen all the house, and the master bedroom must be tiny, but it winds up being secretly spacious and with an attached master bath!

The attic space will be used for air conditioning duct-work, as there is really no room under the house for it (the house sits on a sloping hill, one side is level with the ground, the other is up on piers about 3 feet high). There will be little to no attic storage, and I find myself left with a shortage of storage area, but that can be solved with thinking smartly about furniture choices, a healthy habit of spring cleaning, and maybe a storage shed in the backyard.

So, this is it. That's my plan and a little explanation. It's open for minor changes, but that is the best use of the space for me, the most economical layout, and I think it flows pretty well, too. I'm always open for suggestions and comments or observations.

Maybe I'll have more news in regards to actual work being done on the house soon. I finished this sketch for a contractor who has me next on his list.

mummy dearest

Yesterday my father and I met yet another contractor at the house. We had a pretty good visit and were over there for a few hours. He couldn't really give me an estimate yet but will be able to once I get a floor plan to him. I was impressed that he'd done work on the historical theatre here in town that was completely restored a few years ago by the city for millions of dollars. I actually worked in that theatre for a year, so I know first hand the kind of restoration work that went into it.

Some things I really like about this guy were that he immediately expressed interest in keeping the windows, restoring them, and adding storm windows as opposed to buying new windows. I have been struggling with this for a while because the architecture of the house is fairly minimal and the only real character is in the windows. Previous contractors I had spoken with were quick to say I needed to replace the windows AND ORIGINAL WOODEN DOORS because of the labor and time involved. Now I know nothing of restoring a window, but I think I can handle fixing the doors, given instructions. Here's some window eye candy:

My favorites, the double windows. There are three sets of double windows in the house now. There were four, but at some point with a kitchen renovation, one set was removed and replaced with a shorter single window.

Single window. I think there are only two of these in the house.

And this smaller window in a back room, which I'm planning on turning into a master bath. A little privacy film (or frosted glass) and it will be perfect.

So while I was hesitant about this guy at first, the more time I spent with him, the better I liked him. Not only did he thoroughly check the windows to insure that they were worth saving, but he knows how to do it and has done it before. And the door issue... I was beginning to think I was crazy for wanting to save the original solid wooden doors, since contractors met me with skepticism about it. And in just walking through the house, we managed to talk through some floor plan ideas and solve some problems.

Remember the picture rail and original crown remnants I found? Contractor was totally on board with replacing this molding throughout the house, where I want it. And he knew where to get the stuff. But since the baseboard mouldings are nondescript, he said it would be best and cheaper to simply take that out and replace it.

WARNING: IF YOU'RE EASILY GROSSED OUT STOP HERE!

Contractor was looking at the floor in a closet and leaned in to look down a wall... and found something. He pulled out this... lump that looked like a brick or wadded up insulation... I didn't know what it was...

A strange shape. It is about a foot and a half long. The more I looked at it, the more creeped out I got. Because it resembled something... organic. Is that... fur?

He turned it on its side. and... I clearly made out a head. And ears. A snout. A mouth?

oh. Oh. OH! Teeth! WHISKERS! A... claw?

Completely disgusting. And yet morbid curiosity takes over. This, my friends, is what happens when a opossum crawls into a house... can't get out... and settles down for death in an interior wall. This guy is completely mummified. Dry. There is absolutely no telling how long he's been there. Keep in mind the house is 98 years old.

TO CLEANSE YOUR VISUAL PALATE:

This is just a brief look at how the house is wired. I find this particular bit to be endlessly fascinating, since it is exposed for everyone to see. It's truly a mix of the antique and modern.

Don't worry it's not live. The power's not turned on to this side of the house.

These are the two electrical boxes in the house. Anybody have a guess about how old this is? Contractor said it's definitely not up to code. I'm replacing the wiring and EVERYTHING anyway, but was just curious for guesses.

Here's the box for one apartment.

And here's the panel box for the other apartment. So I know it was done after the house was split into the apartments. But how long has it been apartments?

That's all I have for now. I'm going to try to update more often, but only when I have something to share or say. Hopefully soon I'll actually have a contractor and some real work going on at the house.

Quick update:

The meeting went very well with the contractor I met with a few weeks back. He's supposed to be working on some floor plans for me. He's currently working on another house.

There is another contractor that wants to put in his bid on the project. I say the more the merrier. I haven't met with him, yet. He's working on another house, too.

And, to make things interesting, my original contractor has come back in the picture. He would like to work on the house, but I told him that I had spoken with other contractors and they were putting in bids, and he was welcome to submit his. He's working on some other projects.

None of these guys have worked on my house at all, so it's fair game.

I'm waiting for true bids these days. On paper. Guaranteed estimates, or as close as one can come to that. And then I will make my decision.

I've waited this long. What is another month?